


Bold Strokes

by TheBansheeQueen



Series: The Crimson Company [8]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Lovers to Friends, M/M, One-Sided Relationship, Partner Betrayal, Suramar, nightborne
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-07-29 12:23:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16264127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBansheeQueen/pseuds/TheBansheeQueen





	1. Chapter 1

The ominous glow of Suramars shield cast down upon the cobblestoned paths twisting around the cities alleys. The bustle of the bazaar quieting down to a distant hum the further down the city you went, and today, Ervine was going very, very far down. Nevertheless, he wore a disguise, his deep blue skin brightened to a pale purple, his dark hair bleached to a brilliant white, his nose smaller, his eyes less calculating. If he saw someone he knew, they wouldn’t recognise him and he very much suspected he would run into someone he was painfully familiar with. 

Idly flicking a shard of mana in his hand as he leaned up again an alley wall, other lowlifes walking past offering him a brief glance but not playing him much mind, people down this end of the city were considered lowborn despite them all being Shal’dorei. The people the nobles were content to ignore and the first to starve when there was a mana drought. Forgettable, extendable and completely invisible. Exactly why one of them was elected for a visit from a certain nightborne noble. 

Ervine’s eyes darted as he saw him. Kaiden Ailelumi. His father. The tall man skulked quietly past his son, unknown to him who he was beneath his disguise, Ervine was careful not to let his eyes linger for too long. Kaiden was in a long cloak, his hood up hiding his face that was almost identical to Ervine’s own. The similarities ended at the physical appearance. 

Ervine followed. Kaiden was nervous, it came off him in waves but he was also rushed. Rushing creates mistakes. His son was about to educate him about that. Kaiden came to a halt at a small house. As pristine and beautiful as everything else in Suramar, but something about it felt....uncomfortable. The door opened to Kaiden, a woman with short white hair opening the door, her light blue skin shimmering in the dim light. She was a naturally stunning woman, something about her face just made you just want to stare at her in awe...but she also looked tired and run down. Like her house. 

She ushered Kaiden in, leaving the door open a brief moment too long, allowing Ervine to teleport toward, a shadow of invisibility covering him as he uttered a spell and slipped through the door as the woman pushed it closed. 

“Did you feel that?” The woman asked Kaiden “Like a burst of magic?...”

Kaiden pulled his hood down and offered the woman a tired smile, “Could have been me, I’m not as in control of my magic as I once was” he held up a shaking hand for emphasis, it was indeed shaking and shimmering with untamed flicks of mana. The woman’s expression became concerned, she walked forward and held the shaking hand, 

“You poor thing, that must exhaust you”

“It’s not so bad, Evangeline. I have access to enough mana for it not to be an issue” 

Ervine watched silently, carefully positioning himself so when his invisibility ran out he was still out of sight and had an easy exit. The corner leading up to a short stairwell worked well enough, he’d exit soon...he just needed a bit more evidence to confirm his suspicions. 

“Did you just come here to talk about mana or are you after something” Evangeline offered coyly to which Kaiden chuckled gently, 

“No, my dear. You know why I’m here” 

The pair smiled at each other before shifting forward and pressing their lips together. 

Ervine had to suppress a shuddering breath at the raw feeling of betrayal he felt at the action. He had suspected that his father had been seeing someone other than his mother for months, but to have his suspicions confirmed so undeniably in front of him. He had to tell his brother and mother...they deserved to know...they-

Stars help him he couldn’t do it. If he felt such grief at this revelation, how would they feel? They were more emotional than he was….much, much more. It would destroy them. And what would they do with Kaiden? Kick him out? Could they even do that? And what would he do if they could? Ervine knew what he would do- he’d kill himself. In one action Ervine would ruin two of his family and kill the other. 

His invisibility was fading. He shifted around the stairwell corner and narrowly avoid a person coming down it. 

“Mother?” it called, the voice swiftly jolted the lovers apart and across the room before the owner of the voice could see them. 

“Yes, Vedrorn?” Evangeline spoke patiently, looking a male nightborne with skin likes hers. 

“Heard someone come in, just thought I’d check it wasn’t trouble” 

“No kitten” she paused “this is a friend of mine, he’s helping with the home and mana situation. Go upstairs and check on Jas for me while we’re talking”

Vedrorn looked unconvinced but obeyed, either way, trailing back the way he came, walking past Ervine just as his invisibility and disguise ran out. Watching the male nightborne walk away, a thought struck;

Just kill them. 

He thought about it. No-one would care if a bunch of lowborn went missing, people would assume they got stuck outside the shield and starved....the affair would be removed from existence...he wouldn’t need to tell his mother and brother. 

Of course, Evangeline’s children would need to be taken care off too, loose ends and all that but he could see it working. He could take care of the children now and end Evangeline once his father left. 

Silently, Ervine trailed upstairs pushing open the first door and finding a closet-sized room, on the small space on the floor a back was facing him. He mentally cursed, it was a little girl, similar in appearance to the ‘Vedrorn’ that had been downstairs. This girl couldn’t have been older than 10. Ervine didn’t really want to murder a child...

He closed the door quietly. He’d deal with her last, give him a chance to decide what to do. He’d deal with the brother first. There were only two doors left, and one was open, an empty room and an open window. Possible escape. Ervine went out on a whim and decided the brother was in the closed room. 

He took out the small dagger he always kept of his person, pushing open the door to look into a slightly bigger room. It appeared empty but there were corners he couldn’t see around. He teleports in slicing his blade towards one corner then the other. 

They were both empty. 

Ervine blinked in brief confusion before he felt a presence above him, his surprise at being caught off guard made his reactions slow, a body slamming into him and knocking him to the floor. Ervine looked up at his attacker to see the man who had answered to Vedrorn standing before him. 

“Thought I sensed something on the stairwell” he huffed “You hide your magic well, just not well enough” 

Regaining his senses, Ervine pushed himself to his feet, while Vedrorn clearly expected him to attack again, but Ervine found himself struggling to move forward. “Not many people can see through my spellwork so easily” he commented before he forced himself to finish what he started “Have you had training?”

Vedrorn watched him, perhaps to see if he was asking questions as a distraction. “No” 

Surprising. 

The white-haired man frowned, “what are you doing here? You’re not a robber I know that much”

“How would you know that?”

“Because I’m poor as dirt and you have that smug expression every rich asshole has” 

Fair enough.

“Your deduction is correct, I see you have a certain talent in observation as well as spellwork”

“Wow, a compliment. Maybe you’re not a rich asshole.”

Despite himself, Ervine huffed in amusement “No, I am. Just not such a linear ‘rich asshole’”

Vedrorn snorted slightly as he laughed, “Lucky me”

Ervine debated to himself what to say next...to tell the truth as to why he was here? Kill him? Or...

“I apologise for the break-in” he spoke carefully “I was following someone and they turned back, I had to duck for cover in a nearby house, the window in your upstairs bedroom was open.”  
Ervine was grateful he made a note of the window in the third room as a possible escape. It made his lie convincing. 

“Following someone?”

“Yes, I think they’re blackmailing a friend into voting for certain political opinions, I needed evidence” 

Vedrorn didn’t look 100% convinced but he nodded either way “The things you noble types have to worry yourself with” he rolled his eyes “our only problems are not starving to death, your life must be so hard” 

“Are...are we competing to see who struggles more? I don’t understand the comment” 

“No, I’m just being bitter. Sorry” he shifted his eyes slightly “I’d offer an arcwine but like I said-” he pats his pockets for empathsis “poor” 

Ervine shakes his head “I don’t expect hospitality, I broke into your home”

“Oh yeah. Almost forgot” he grinned “almost charmed me into ignoring the fact you came into my room swinging a knife” 

“Corners make me nervous”

“Bet they do”

He should be leaving. He really should, he’s already overstayed and risked being caught. He’s already ruined his own plan. He’s already-”

“What's your name, noble?” 

Ervine blinked a moment before Vedrorn shrugged “I’m not going to report you, I’m just curious”

A pause “Ervine”

“Ervine….?”

“Ailelumi”

Vedrorns eyes widened a fraction “Oh shit. That noble, huh?” he rubbed his neck awkwardly “I’m surprised you’d even talk to me. You could have left without explaining yourself and not paid any consequence”

“No-one should be devoid of consequence no matter their noble ranking”

The men looked at each other for a brief moment. Vedrorn spoke first,

“Want to get a drink? There is a good bar near here”

To his surprise, Ervine felt himself nodding, “Sure”


	2. Chapter 2

Ervine still didn’t know what he was doing by the time he reached the bar with Vedrorn, was this how friendship normally worked? He hadn’t been close with anyone since the war of the ancients and since then his only friend had been his older brother...which sounded a bit sad now that he actually thought about it. 

He never really connected with people that well.

“You remember what I said about being poor?” Vedrorn chuckled from beside him, “buy me a drink?”

Ervine rolled his eyes but made his way to the bartender anyway, “Oh, so that's the reason you brought me here.”

“Yup”

“Any preference?”

“Get me a mana juice”

Ervine quirked an eyebrow “You don’t drink alcohol at a bar?”

Vedrorn shrugged somewhat awkwardly “I don’t handle it well and since you’re a stranger…”

“Fair enough” 

Ervine paid for a mana juice for Vedrorn and an arcwine for himself and they settled in a booth in a quiet corner. “You're not normally so trusting of people” Ervine spoke idly,

“How can you tell?”

The taller man's eyes flickered over the other male, his eyes curious and expression patient, “I just can”

Vedrorn tipped his head “You talk about me like you’re some excellent judge of character”

“I am”

“Uh-huh” Vedrorn looked around the room briefly before pointing at a painting on the wall, “prove it. Tell me about the person who painted that”

“Judging character suggests judging a person”

“We are, just through something they’ve made”

“Art is the truest version of one's mind I suppose”

“Think you can do it?”

“Do you know the artist? Otherwise how else will you be able to tell if I’m right”

“I do. I’ll be able to tell if you’re correct or just spitting mana-coloured water.”

Ervine observed the painting, his eyes scanning the image, the lines, the colours…

“The artist is a young male, he’s bold and cares little for the limitations of our society” his fingers point out the lines “you can tell from his lines they vary in size and neatness, he’s not afraid to break consistency even though many of our city prefer ‘neat’ artwork. As well as this he colours outside the lines, again demonstrating his lack of care for noble preference”

“How do you know he’s not just bad at colouring?”

“Because he’s careful to never colour over key features; peoples faces, small gems, and items that would be covered by messy work are deliberately done neatly” he points out a few examples on the painting to back up his point. 

“Anything else?”

“He’s lowborn” Ervine speaks carefully “some of the paints have been watered down to make them last longer, as such the colours aren’t as thick as they would be if done by a noble or someone who could afford extra paint” he looks again “he’s observant, if he’s lowborn its highly unlikely he actually knows any of the people painted in the image but he’s painted their faces perfectly anyway. He’s watched them enough to recognise and draw their features.”

“Wow, you are good. One more trait for bonus points” 

“The artist has narcissistic traits”

“W-what makes you say that?”

“The fact he asked me to analyse his work instead of any of the other pieces in this room” Ervine gives him a pointed look to which Vedrorn laughs nervously,

“You got me. I couldn’t resist” the smaller man leaned forward “now that you’ve analysed me I only think it’s fair I judge you”

Ervine huffed in amusement, very few people could read him at all, let alone in detail...but he’d indulge the man for now. 

“I’m afraid I don’t have a painting by me for analyse” he hummed as he took another sip of his drink, Vedrorn shrugged,

“It’s okay, I’ll just have to intensely stare at you instead of a painting” 

A pause, 

“Okay, so um…” the man suddenly looked unsure of himself, Ervine offered a tiny smile,

“Go on, I’m waiting with bated breath”

“Okay...you have an older sibling, you don’t have enough arrogance to be the head or heir of a house...and there is no way an heir would be out in the lower half of the city for the fun of it”

“I’ve always thought I was actually quite arrogant” 

“Well you are..but in the ‘I’m way smarter than you’ kinda way...not ‘I’m way richer or more important than you’ way most nobles are”

“I see. Well, you are correct. I have an older brother”

Vedrorn nods, clearly proud of himself “okay you...also weren’t raised by your parents”

“What makes you say that?”

“Your lack of ‘I’m better than you’ attitude. Noble parents instill that on their kids early” 

“I suppose you’re somewhat correct. My parents were present in my youth but were often too busy to take care of me, the job fell to my brother as a result”

“And you’re not bitter about that?”

“No. Why would I be?”

The white-haired man looked awkward for a moment “Well… you know they took the time to take care of your brother but...they couldn’t be bothered with you?”

Ervine shook his head, “My brother is 3,000 years my senior, things were different when he was born. Besides, he was planned, I was not. My family had to adapt accordingly”

“You and your brother are close?”

“I thought you were meant to be analysing me? Asking questions is cheating”

“No, it’s uh...being resourceful”

That earnt him a gentle laugh “Very well, I shall indulge. Yes, my brother and I are very close” 

“Always wondered what it would be like to have a older sibling”

“Depends on the sibling. You have a sister, yes?”

“Yes, Jas. She’s ten this year”

“Where is her father?”

“Our father. He died a few years back. I don’t know what from, he just got sick one day and never got over it.”

“My condolences” 

“Thanks, I appreciate that”

A silence settled for a moment. 

“I heard your mother mention a mana situation?”

“Yeah, we get less mana than you high ups, can be hard to feed a family of three”

“I’d like to help with that”

Vedrorn looked genuinely confused for a moment “Why?”

Ervine wasn’t any less confused by his desire to help, “I don’t know” he answered honestly “I just do”

The white-haired man looked at him before laughing slightly “What a weirdo” Ervine huffed slightly, 

“That’s a new one” 

“I bet. Strangest noble I’ve ever met” 

“Is that code for ‘Yes, I shall accept your help’” 

Vedrorn grinned “Yeah, I guess it is”


	3. Chapter 3

Vedrorn rolled his eyes as he tossed down another letter of rejection from a potential employer, “you can tell the exact part of my request letter they stopped reading at” he grumbled sourly causing Ervine to look up from the letter he was reading,

 

“And which part is that?”

 

“The part where you say it’s a lowborn you’re trying to recommend, not yourself”

 

Ervine places down his letter carefully, “Wouldn’t you rather be employed by someone who will tolerate you, it’s best we filter out employers that will cause you more grief than necessary”

 

“Honestly I’d just rather not starve to death. I can handle a bitchy employer”

 

“Language”

 

“Fuck off”

 

The taller man gives his companion a pointed look “you are more aggravated than usual today, is something the matter?”

 

Vedrorns expression mellows slightly and he sighs, taking another sip of the mana juice he’d been offered upon entering Ervine’s office, “Sorry. I guess I’m just...thinking too much at the moment”

 

“Is it something you wish to discuss?”

 

A Pause

 

“Do you remember the night you, uh, broke into my house?” Vedrorn inquired carefully “There was a man downstairs with my mother. Did you see him?”

 

Ervine thought carefully for a moment before replying, “I did”

 

“Think he was highborn, had that vibe to him. Apparently, he’s meant to be helping with our money issues” he fiddled with his hands slightly “I don’t think he is though”

 

“You feel you are being deceived?”   Ervine _knew_ he was being deceived but he elected to inquire anyway, 

 

“Yes...but not by him” he sighed “but by my mother”

 

The answer confused the other man “explain”,

 

Vedrorn shifted his gaze to him “I don’t give one if some highborn twat with a nine-inch staff up his ass lies to me, but my mother has been seeing this man for weeks. If he’s lying about helping she already knows. And if she knows that's not his intention, she’s hiding something from myself and Jas”

 

Once again Ervine found himself impressed by Vedrorns perception and deduction “If...if she is being purposely secretive then perhaps you are correct”

 

“You could at least disagree to make me feel better”

 

“And what good would that do?”

 

Vedrorn sighed deeply “I need a drink”

 

In the months the pair had known each other, Ervine had never seen Vedrorn drink alcohol which was a rare trait for a nightborne. Ervine found he practically relied on the stuff. “I have a jug of arcwine in my quarters if you’re interested”

 

Vedrorns head snapped up slightly, a blush painting his face lightly “...your quarters?”

 

“Yes...is there something unusual with that request?”

 

“I...uh” he coughed lightly, “No. No. Ignore me. Sure, I’ll join you”

 

Ervine was grateful for his ability to teleport, who knows how complicated things would have gotten if they ran into his father on the walk to his room and Vedrorn recognised him. Once safely inside, Vedrorn slipped down into a chair “can you teach me how to do that?”

 

“At some point, yes” he spoke as he poured the pair a glass of arcwine each and settled into a chair of his own. For a moment the pair sipped in silence before Vedrorn spoke,

 

“Can I ask you some personal questions?”

 

“Personal questions?”

 

“Yeah. We’ve mainly kept it professional apart from the odd talk of family. I want to get to know you better since we’re friends” he gulped “we’re friends right?”

 

“Of course” Ervine took another sip of wine “What did you want to ask?”

 

“Um” Vedrorn gulped his drink nervously “Are you...seeing anyone?”

 

“Like a relationship?”

 

“Yeah, you’re clearly not married but-”

 

“I’m not seeing anyone, no.”

 

“Not even the occasional bed warmer?”

 

“Not recently, no” Ervine raised an eyebrow “Are you ‘seeing anyone’?”

 

Vedrorn snorted slightly taking another gulp “No, you’ve seen the size of my room, where would I keep them?”

 

“So you’ve never…?”

 

“Oh no, I have. Just not at home and...uh...not for very long”

 

“So you’ve never been in a committed relationship?”

 

“Nah. Not really, have you?”

 

Ervine thought for a moment “Twice. Before the sundering”

 

“Shit, that long ago?”

 

“Yes, one was just before the war of the ancients, one during”

 

“What happened?”

 

“The first girl...Mari, pretty woman.” He thinks back trying to conjure her face into his mind “Purple marking across her eyes, deep blue hair, pretty face.”

 

“How pretty?”

 

“Very, very pretty” he sighed “I didn’t really like her that much. She was on the dim side, it bored me”

 

“Then why’d you date her? To lead her on?”

 

“No I-” he shifted his eyes slightly “I was trying to impress my brother. He was always seeing attractive people and I suppose I wanted to prove I could keep up with him”

 

“How’d it end?”

 

“I admitted to Korvos one day I didn’t really like Mari very much, that I was only with her because I assumed he would approve.” Ervine huffed “He called me an idiot and said I should never be with someone for anyone else but myself. I ended the relationship the next day. Turns out she didn’t like me much either but didn’t break up with me because she liked seeing my brother every day” 

 

“Ouch” 

 

“I didn’t mind.”

 

“Then...the second person?”

 

Ervine couldn’t help but let his face twitch slightly “Persphene” he sighed “She was...we were...complicated.”

 

“Rather not talk about it?”

 

“Oh no. It’s not that. It generally was a confusing relationship” 

 

“How so?”

 

“Well to begin with everything was great” he sighed “she was perceptive, intelligent, strong-willed. The embodiment of everything I thought I wanted in a woman”

 

“Thought?”

 

“We were in the same regiment during the war of the ancients, I was her commanding officer. However, her relationship with me made her think she could attempt to undermine my authority.” he paused “I adored her with every inch of my being when we first met, by the time our relationship was at its end I could barely stand to look at her. The last time she tried to backtrack on my orders believing they were too dangerous I told her she was lucky I hadn’t sent her straight into the demons to peel her off my back and if she questioned my orders again I’d save the demons the trouble”

 

“...wow. How’d she take that?”

 

“About as well as you’d expect. The relationship ended, she moved to command her own regiment, it was promptly wiped out a week later.”

 

“Stars- she died?!”

 

“Yes, taking her whole group with her. Clearly, she wasn’t as intelligent as I thought she was” 

 

Vedrorn gulped nervously “you’re a brutal man, Ervine Ailelumi” 

 

“So I’ve been told” he offered a small smile “have I answered all your questions?”

 

The shorter man nodded slowly “I think so.”

 

“And what did you learn?”

 

“You have a shit taste in girls?”

 

Ervine huffed “You cannot reach that conclusion from two relationships alone”

 

“Guess not.”

 

The pair were pushing the boundaries of intoxicated, the jug slowly draining of its contents-

 

“What about men?”

 

Ervine tilted his head slightly “Pardon?”

 

“Men. Have you ever been with any?”

 

“I’ve never been in a committed relationship with a man but I’ve slept with men if that’s what you’re wondering”

 

“Did you...did you like it?”

 

Ervine’s eyebrows furrowed slightly at the question “Yes. I suppose so” 

 

“Suppose?”

 

“Vedrorn, are you propositioning me?”

 

It was meant as a joke but from the way, Vedrorns face flushed with embarrassment then darkened slightly, Ervine realised he may have been more accurate than he intended, “...and if I am?”

 

“Then you should understand I don’t play this game, Vedrorn. If you want something, _ask for it_ ”

 

Vedrorns eyes shifted between Ervine’s bed, then back to him, then back again. This repeated for about a minute or so. “Is there a fancy way you highborn types ask to have your head rammed into a pillow?”

 

Ervine quirked an eyebrow and placed his glass down on the table “A simple ‘fuck me’ will suffice”

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
